Southeastern Louisiana University Athletics

Errol Gauff was named the sixth head women's basketball coach in school history on April 2, 2016. The LaPlace, Louisiana native is a veteran coach and a long-time member of the Hammond community.

Prior to taking the helm of the women's basketball program, Gauff, a 1992 graduate of Alabama, spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach on the Southeastern men’s basketball staff under Lion head coach Jay Ladner. A pillar of the Hammond community, Gauff came to SLU after spending 18 seasons as the head boys coach at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where he built the Falcons into a state power and led STA to two state championships.
 
Gauff has been a key member of the Southeastern staff under Ladner that has overseen a steady improvement over the past two seasons. The Lions have made consecutive appearances in the Southland Conference Tournament, winning their first postseason game since 2012-13 this season.
 
During his time at STA, Gauff helped the school’s basketball program reach unprecedented heights, culminating with back-to-back Class 2A state championships in 2007 and 2008. Gauff led the Falcons to eight consecutive district championships from 2007-14, including a stretch of six consecutive undefeated runs through district play.
 
The first state playoff victory and playoff appearance as a member of Class 2A, as well as the first district championship and basketball state titles in St. Thomas history all came during Gauff’s tenure. A six-time district coach of the year, he was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year in 2006 after leading the Falcons to their first 30-win season in program history, starting a string of seven consecutive 30-victory campaigns.
 
Respected by his peers in the state of Louisiana, Gauff was a member of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) Executive Council and served as an executive officer for the Louisiana High School Basketball Coaches Association in 1997 (secretary) and 1998 (vice president). Gauff, who was selected as an assistant coach in the 2012 High School All-America Game, also had coaching stops at St. Stanislaus School and Hahnville High School.
 
Gauff, who was the Assistant Athletic Director (2008-14) and Director of Advancement (2012-14) during this time at St. Thomas Aquinas, earned the 2014 Neighbors Way Award honoring a teacher or staff member for making a difference and demonstrating a true concern for their community.
 
In 2011 he received the Brotherhood/Sisterhood Award, awarded to individuals who have devoted their professional, philanthropic and volunteer capacities to humanitarian service and breaking down the barriers that divide our community and prevent us from working and living together in harmony. Gauff’s other honors include the 2013 Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church Academic Excellence Award and the 2011 National Society of High School Scholars Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction.
 
Gauff earned his bachelor’s degree from Alabama in communication with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. An alumnus of St. Paul’s School in Covington, Louisiana, Gauff and his wife, Medria, reside in Hammond and are the parents of a daughter, Hailey Elizabeth.